Beginner’s Guide to Growing Basil

Almost everyone loves to eat fresh basil and some people have a hard time growing it.  Basil can be a finicky little plant in the changeable weather that is Spring.  Don’t let the Basil get the better of you with these simple tips.

If you are planning your Spring garden, here is a Beginner’s Guide to Growing Basil to help you out.

SEEDS OR TRANSPLANTS

Beginners, don’t even think about growing basil from seed. If you do, just wait for the frustration to come out after two weeks. You will be SO excited to see the little guys sprout up and then you will wait, and wait, and wait for them to grow bigger. You will keep waiting. It won’t happen. Basil seeds are susceptible to a fungus on the soil that stunts their growth. It is due to poor air circulation and not keeping the soil’s water level maintained. If you are experienced with starting plants from seed you will be okay, but if you are new, just go over to the nursery or local plant sale and pick out 1-2 basil plants in different varieties. Unless you plan on freezing and drying basil, a 6-pack of basil will produce too much.

Lemon Basil

VARIETIES

Purple basils have a smaller more compact habit and take up less space, yet taste the same as sweet basil, so try them if your space is limited.  Lemon basil has a distinctive flavor and many uses in cooking.  If you have never tried it, you should take the plunge.  Sweet basil comes in many varieties.  If pesto is your aim try Genovese or Napaletano. For those wanting to try a basil tea, cinnamon, tulsi (holy,) or thai basil have unique flavors that are great for food or beverages.

Purple Basil

ADVICE AND INFO

Basil is a heat lover and a cold hater.  Make sure your plants are hardened off before you leave them out overnight.  This means introducing them to the outdoors one hour or two a day for about a week then moving up the time until they stay out an entire day.  Keep them shaded for that transition period.  Once they are ready to stay outside, you still need to protect them (I bring them back indoors) if the temps dip into the 40s (Fahrenheit) at night.  The leaves will turn black if they get too cold and this can kill a young seedling. 

Basil is a heavy nutrient user. If growing them in a container, you will need at least a one gallon container for them to spread out in and you will need to feed them every month. When growing in the ground you may still need to feed them.

Since basil plants produce edible leaves, they need more nitrogen, making blood meal the perfect soil amendment (this is available at your local home and garden center.) Basil also needs a lot of water. It can handle the soil drying out in between waterings, but it really likes to be moist if possible. Basil is also a sun worshipper – give your plant at least 6-8 hours of bright sunlight a day.

HARVESTING AND USING

Harvested Basil

You can start to harvest basil as early as 3-4 weeks after it has been able to stay out overnight, or once the plant is taller than six inches. Gently pinch all the way down the stem to the union of the next leaf set. You want to remove that stem so that new leaves will grow from that point. Pinch off as much as you need at the time or harvest full stems for freezing and drying. 

Pinching out the center above two branching leaves.

Always remove the flowers the minute that they emerge, especially in the early season. If you don’t, the leaves diminish in size and flavor as the plant sends energy to make seed.

Flowering Sweet Basil

Once the weather man predicts an overnight temp less than 45 degrees F, cut down the last of your basil and dry it or preserve it for winter use. I have several posts on making pastes and pesto with basil, that you can check out once you have enough harvest. 

Most important harvest your basil often.  If you just let it grow, you will not get a bushy plant but a single stalk that will flower early and get top heavy, so pinch and enjoy your basil as soon as it is ready!

Holy (Tulsi) Basil

Pesto and Pastes for Preserving Basil

Pesto Basils

Making Frozen Paste Ice Cubes

Making Pastes and Pesto

Herb of the Week - Pesto Basil

Many people, even those new to herbs can recognize a basil plant.  In fact that is why I used it in my logo when I redesigned my labeling during  2013.

However, choosing which basil to grow in your garden is sometimes more daunting than one would realize.  Just go to any sizable garden center and they generally have more than one kind of basil, and if you look in a seed catalog your are likely to find dozens. Seeds of Change has 11 varieties of basil available.  So how do you choose?

I have done posts on some basils in the past.  Most specifically Cinnamon Basil, Lemon Basil and Holy Basil.  I have also waxed poetic about purple basil, although I have never done it as an herb of the week...

Cinnamon Basil

Today I want to focus on Pesto or Italian Dinner Basils, so for the

                        Herb of the Week I choose Pesto Basils.

Basil's scientific name is Ocimum basilicum. The three Basil varieties that I recommend for Pesto are all of this species, but are slightly different varieties.

Basil Genovese

The first Pesto Basil I recommend to grow is Basil 'Genovese.'  This one is very popular and you can find the variety in most garden centers as a seedling or you can plant it from seed. Basil 'Genovese', sometimes just labeled Sweet Basil, is one of the most popular herb plants. It is the perfect plant for authentic Italian basil flavor and aroma. 

Genovese Basil is important to Italian cuisine and traditionally was a symbol of love throughout Italy. When women were preparing for courtship, many would place a potted Genovese outside of their door to signal suitors that they were receptive to their calls.

A hugely popular culinary herb, the tall and relatively slow-to-bolt stems on this basil plant bare dark green leaves about 3" long.  The edible, aromatic foliage yields abundant leaves with authentic Italian basil flavor that is perfect in a pesto sauce. Easy to grow in containers or outdoors, this classic basil has mildly spicy flavor and sweet fragrance fantastic for seasonings, salads, garnishes and pesto. Basil is also a fantastic companion plant and natural pest repellent.

It can grow up to 24 inches in height and takes about 68 days to reach maturity, but since you are pinching the tops to make it bushier starting as soon as it has 5 leaves, you can begin eating it long before the plant reaches maurity.

Basil Napoletano

Next we have a basil often called Lettuce Leaf Basil or Basil Napoletano.  Napoletano has crinkled leaves that can reach up to 5" long. The large mild-flavored leaves are delicious when used to wrap fish or chicken, on tomato and mozzarella sandwiches, or added to cold pasta dishes. Plants are slow to bolt, allowing a longer harvest period, and will get as tall as 24". Grow plants in pots on a sunny south-facing windowsill indoors our outside where they get plenty of sun.  Pinch back to keep them more compact and to encourage more leaf production.

Napoletano has fast germination.  If you plant it outside after the soil has warmed, you can see sprouts in 5 to 7 days.  You should wait until 1 to 2 weeks after average last frost, and when nighttime temperatures are warm. Basil is very sensitive to frost.  If you want to start it inside you need to do so 6 to 8 weeks before planting outside or around the beginning of April.  Don't plant outdoors until your nighttime temps are above 50 degrees.

Plant your Basil Napoletano seeds in groups of 4 spaced about 6 to 12 inches.  Thin the plants when they reach 2 inches in height so there is one plant every 6 to 10 inches.

Basil Pesto Perpetuo

Finally I have a basil I just recently fell in love with, Basil, Pesto Perpetuo.  It is a variegated basil that does not flower, so it is a serious hybrid basil.  You can get the plants (only) from Territorial Seed Company, if you order by May 1. The reason I love this plant is not because it makes great pesto, but because it is variegated.  I love a variegated plant and this one is also culinary which makes it special.  However, it is a hybrid that produces no seed, so  it will only be around as long as people buy it and its hybrid production is continued.

Known as Ocimum basilicum citriodorum,  Basil Pesto Perpetuo is a superb culinary plant, but its light lime green leaves with a thin line of  cream variegation on the leaf margin makes it an eye-catching gem. Mixed in with other Basil plants it will be striking.  A columnar plants it can grow up to 48 inches tall, so keep it clipped back. the beauty and flavor of this basil will earn it a prominent place in your herb garden. You grow it from plants you acquire from the breeder.

Set starter plants of this patented basil in the ground after last spring frost date. Plants are very sensitive to frost. Pesto Perpetuo is best grown in moderately rich, humusy soil with medium moisture and good drainage.  As with all basil plants it needs full sun. They thrive in warm, sunny, sheltered sites and do have some tolerance for light afternoon shade. Consistent and regular moisture throughout the growing season is required. Pinch out growing tips to encourage bushy growth. 

For culinary purposes, leaves are used either fresh or dried to flavor a variety of food preparations, including not only classic pesto sauce, but also vegetable dishes, meat dishes, stews, soups and marinades. Fresh variegated leaves are attractive as garnishes. Fresh leaves may also be frozen for later use. Dried leaves are often used as an ingredient in potpourris. 

Harvesting and Using

Whichever of the three basils you plant,  harvesting is about the same. Basil should be harvested before the plant flowers or to keep the plant from flowering. The leaves have more flavor when harvested in the morning. The young, top leaves taste the best, and should be used fresh; the older leaves may be used for vinegar and pesto. Cut a few stems but never more than 1/3 of the plant. Wash stems, gently shake dry, and strip the leaves off the stem. If there is any chance of temperature dropping to 32° F, harvest crop immediately; basil is very frost sensitive.

As with most varieties of basil, they love the sun and cannot tolerate cold. If you are keeping it indoors to extend its growing season, make sure it gets lots of light and adequate, but not excessive water. Pinch the flowering tops down to the first set of leaves, or first node, to prolong its usefulness in the kitchen.

Pesto Recipe

I posted a traditional pesto recipe along with preservation instructions for freezing it in a previous post in August 2010.  However I will share with you here another favorite pesto recipe.

Fresh Basil Pesto 

Mаkеѕ аbοut 2 cups

2 1/2 cups packed fresh basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese

2-3 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions:

Wash the basil in сοld water, and dry with paper towels. Place the basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl once. Place the mixture into a bowl, and fold in the grated cheeses and butter by hand until thoroughly collective.

It is now ready to serve as a topping on fresh vegetables, as a pottage on cooked chicken or pork or as a sauce on pasta.  If using over pasta, thin the purée with some of the cooking liquid before you toss with the pasta.


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